


Where the Moonlight Shines

by ByAStream



Category: Captain America (Movies), Far Cry 5, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Torture, Mind Control, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:12:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22980787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ByAStream/pseuds/ByAStream
Summary: You’re a junior deputy in Hope County, Montana when things go to hell in a handbasket with the local cult. It’s months before help arrives in the form of the Avengers, taking you down a road you never expected.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Reader, Natasha Romanov & Reader, Past Staci Pratt/Female Deputy, Past Staci Pratt/Reader, Wanda Maximoff & Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part One has dialogue directly from Far Cry 5; Series will primarily focus on the fallout of Hope County and Rook’s (Reader’s) recovery. While I have through part seven written, posting will likely be every other week if not longer as I go back through for the 1000th time and expand the story even more. Because of this, more warnings may be added. The story diverges entirely from MCU canon. Bucky is part of the team, IW and Endgame don’t happen and Civil War is ignored. 
> 
> I've been working on this one for the last few months. Honestly, I expect this to be a very niche fic, but I'm writing it because I want to, I'm writing it for me. So come join me on Dep's journey through the madness of the cult and recovery from the events that unfold.
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: jbbarnesnnoble.tumblr.com 
> 
> I often post on Tumblr first and then here!

You were the newest Junior Deputy with the Hope County Sheriff’s Department. Newest was a relative term. Hope County rarely saw newcomers, unless they were flocking to that damned Project. You had spent summers there growing up, sure, but there was something different about living there full time. It was a home away from home. You’d returned to Montana on a permanent basis for peace and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of a more populated area. It was easier to keep to yourself there, even with everyone knowing you. You had healing abilities, something that happened when you were in high school, interning in a science lab. It was something you kept to yourself. 

Everyone called you Rook, even the people who had known you since you were a kid. You had started there as a dispatcher when you moved to Hope County, went through the academy when you saw the way things were heading with the Project, and got offered the position two years ago. The one thing you hated about the job was Nancy. If you had to hear Nancy go on one more time about whatever mundane thing was going on in her life, you were going to lose it. 

You had been in Hope County a few years when  _ they  _ started causing major issues. The Project at Eden’s Gate. Locals called the members of the Project Peggies. The Project had a dark cloud over it. Suspected kidnappings. Coercing businesses into closing. They had strict policies on alcohol. Namely that it wasn’t allowed. They had seemed innocent enough when they arrived years back. Joseph Seed, the so called ‘Father’, had worked with Father Jerome for a time. You weren’t sure when things started shifting, but they did. You hated working calls dealing with the Project. Especially calls in the Henbane, because inevitably, you would end up dealing with Faith Seed. You figured if you kept to yourself, only interacting when it was required for work, you’d be fine. You were wrong. So terribly wrong.

The real trouble started when you were at the bar in Fall’s End, the Spread Eagle. It was owned by Mary May Fairgrave, who was one of the toughest women you knew and one of your oldest friends. You had just settled in to have a beer and a burger, catching up with her, when trouble walked in. 

One of the leaders of the Project at Eden’s Gate came in looking smug as always. You knew which brother it was by the designer clothes he wore and the look of disdain plastered upon his face. John Seed was an arrogant bastard. He was always trying to get Mary May to close up shop, going on about how alcohol was immoral and how it drove people to sin. Preaching about how he had been lost to the vice before his brother found him. You rolled your eyes at him and continued your conversation with the bartender, pretending he wasn’t there. You considered her one of your closest friends in the county outside of Joey Hudson and Staci Pratt. You knew being ignored would only serve to rile him up. 

“I’m sorry, I thought it was rude to ignore a customer,” he said, flashing a smile that was so fake it put Barbie to shame. 

“What can I get you?” Mary May asked through grit teeth. You watched the interaction with caution. You could never trust a Seed. 

“A water, please, and a moment of your time,” he replied. You choked back a laugh. Of course he’d only order water. You took a sip of the drink in front of you, a watered down beer that reminded you of the bonfires in high school, when everything seemed so much more simple. Nights curled up against Staci’s side, his hand never straying from your back. Staci Pratt, ex-boyfriend turned colleague and one of your best friends. You remembered nights spent laughing with Rachel Jessop, now Faith Seed. Before the drugs. Before the Project. You knew Tracey had taken it hard when Rachel joined the cult. You all had. And now there were rumors about her and something called the Bliss. You didn’t like it and investigations into it had turned up nothing, the Seeds stonewalling you at every turn. 

“You know, Deputy, it is certainly unbecoming of an officer of the law to be in a place like this,” John said, drawing out the syllables in the word deputy. You narrowed your eyes at him.

“Seed, this is one of the local watering holes. You’d be hard pressed to find an officer who doesn’t come in on a night off,” you snapped. Mary May set the glass of water down on the bar, water sloshing over the side with the force, earning a dirty look from John. 

“We want you to stop serving alcohol, Ms. Fairgrave. It’s a temptation for many of our flock,” John said. 

“Too damn bad, Seed. This bar was here long before you and it’ll be here long after,” she said. 

“We’ll see about that,” you heard him mutter before he spoke again, “I’d hate to see something happen because of one of our more zealous members. We cannot be held accountable for their actions,” he said before standing and walking out the door. As the man left the bar, she gave you a look of concern. 

“I don’t trust him or those brothers of his, Rook. Sooner or later something is going to give. Did you hear about the Anderson’s kids? They just up and left, leaving a note for their parents sayin’ they were leaving their life of sin to join the Project,” Mary-May said. 

“I’m sure they’re harmless. If they weren’t surely the feds would be closing in on them...hell, maybe even the Avengers. Every time we’ve carried out a welfare check, the person was accounted for,” you said. You wondered if you’d ever believe that yourself. 

You had seen things when carrying out those checks that set you on edge. But there was no proof that the Seeds were doing anything illegal, no proof that people were being kidnapped. You couldn’t even get a warrant to search their properties, John Seed made sure of that. Damned Georgia lawyer. He was a massive thorn in the side of the Sheriff's Department. The hands of the department were tied, no matter how much you all hated it. 

“Now that’d be a sight, the Avengers here in Hope County,” she said with a shake of her head. 

“For all we know, the Project could be an arm of Hydra, now wouldn’t that be something? With the rumors that swirl about those brothers, it wouldn’t surprise me is all I’m saying,” you said. 

“Keep talking like that and I’ll send ya to hang out with Zip,” she said as she wiped down the bar. You laughed. Zip Kupka was the local conspiracy theorist. You’d answered more than your fair share of calls out to his place. The only other person who could top Zip for crazy theories was Larry Parker. You sat talking for a while, until she was closing for the night. Things happened in a blur. Something went through the front window as she was flipping the chairs up and hit her. You rushed to her side.

“Mary May, stay awake...stay awake damn it,” you said as you pressed your hand to the gash on her head. You focused on the injury. Your powers were jarring when you hadn’t used them in awhile. Blue encased your hand as you worked to heal the damage. She looked at you stunned.

“That ain’t normal,” she said. You sighed as you helped her sit up. You didn’t see the two figures watching the scene from across the street in their car.

“It’s...complicated. Come on, let’s get some food and water in you,” you said, helping her up. You covered the broken window up while she sat down. You picked up the rock. There was a note attached.

“What’s it say?” she asked.

“Last warning. Close up shop, or else...Mary, I’m taking this down the station,” you said. She frowned.

“I don’t see what that’s going to do. We don’t have proof it came from the Seeds,” she said. 

“John Seed has been pressuring you for weeks now to stop selling alcohol and to close down...but you’re probably right. He’ll just say it was an overzealous member of the Project,” you said, feeling defeated. You stayed the night, worried that something else would happen. You left early, glad you had the day off. You headed up to the station to drop the rock and the note off with the Eden’s Gate files before you headed home. Something was coming, you just weren’t so sure what. 

* * *

A few days later, Cameron Burke arrived in town, with a warrant from the Federal Marshals for the arrest of Joseph seed. You had a bad feeling about the arrest. None of you were comfortable with the task. Sheriff Whitehorse had tried to talk him out of it. He had no idea what he was doing. You knew it would only provoke the hornets nest, not destroy it. 

“You sure you’re alright? You can sit this one out, no judgment,” Staci said as your group headed to the helicopter. 

“Alright is subjective, Pratt. I just have a bad feeling about this arrest,” you said. He nodded.

“I don’t like it either but the Marshal won’t change his mind. You know that as well as I do. He’s bullheaded. All he’s gonna do is rile them up,” he said. You nodded in agreement. 

“We’ll be alright,” you said. You knew neither of you believed it. Through the flight, you tried re-watching the videos. The videos were the closest thing to evidence of wrong doing. Your stomach churned at the thought. Joseph Seed was shown on video gouging out the eyes of someone. 

Pratt landed the helicopter and your feelings of unease grew. Members of the Project stood with guns at the ready. You could hear the sounds of their music playing, some song about Jacob Seed setting the sinners free. You hated the Project music, even if it was catchy. It was creepy. 

“Hudson, on the door, watch our backs, don’t let any of these people get in. Rookie, on me,” Sheriff Whitehorse said. Whitehorse was like a father figure. You knew he had reservations about the arrest, which was why he told the Marshal to follow his lead. You didn’t like how cocky the Marshal was. As the three of you entered the church a chill ran down your spine as Joseph Seed spoke. His flock were listening intently, hanging on every word the man said. 

“They will come, try to take from us, take our guns, take our freedom, take our faith! We will not let them!” Joseph preached. Anxiety had made itself at home, feeling like a rock in your stomach. Everything in you said to run, far away and never look back. 

“Sheriff come on,” Burke said. His impatience grated on you. He didn’t understand just how tenuous the situation was. 

“Just hold on Marshal,” Whitehorse said. You were saying a silent prayer, hoping Burke wouldn’t do something stupid. 

“We will not let their greed, or their immorality, or their depravity hurt us anymore, there will be no more suffering,” Joseph said before the Marshal interrupted, against the warnings of the sheriff. 

“Joseph Seed! I have a warrant issued for your arrest on the suspicion of kidnapping with the intent to harm. Now, I want you to step forward and keep your hands where I can see them,” Burke said. And there it was. Whatever happened now, Burke had all but sealed your fates. 

You thought about what you knew about the Seeds. John was a lawyer. You’d had to deal with him on multiple occasions. He was smart, good at what he did. He was the youngest brother and owned a ranch in the valley. Jacob was the oldest, a veteran. When the family bought up St. Francis, up in the Whitetail Mountains, he’d made himself at home there. And then there was Faith Seed. Rachel Jessop. Joseph Seed had taken her under his wing and suddenly, she was known as Faith, Rachel just a memory. You avoided her if you could. She was a friend, once upon a time. 

“Here they are, locusts in our garden. See they’ve come from me. They’ve come to take me away from you. They’ve come to destroy all that we’ve built!” Joseph said. The jeering from the crowd grew louder. Your breathing grew more shallow. You were terrified. There were far more of them than there were of you. Even with Hudson at the door, just outside, you were outnumbered and outgunned. Burke made a move for his gun.

“Don’t touch that service weapon!” Whitehorse snapped. He called for calm as Joseph did the same for his congregants. 

“We knew this moment would come. We have prepared for it. Go, go, God will not let them take me,” Joseph said, as his siblings moved behind him. He raised his arms in the air, head tilted up toward the ceiling as members of his congregation walked toward the doors.

“I saw when the Lamb opened the first seal and I heard as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts say “come and see” and I saw. And behold, it was a white horse, and hell followed with him,” Joseph said, his gaze falling on you as he held his arms out. 

“Rookie, cuff this son of a bitch,” Burke said. You felt a cold sweat form. Why you? Why did you have to be the one to cuff him when the Marshal was the one who came to arrest him? You were there as back up, not to be the arresting officer. You looked at him. You felt the eyes of all four Seeds on you, curious about what you would do. You were frozen to the spot. You could refuse, walk away, pretend it never happened. Live your life.

“Rookie, come on,” Burke said, getting impatient. You went against your gut. Your hands shook as you took your cuffs from your belt. You closed your eyes as you locked them in place, feeling as though you had just set something in motion you couldn’t take back. 

As you got Joseph into the chopper, his people snapped into action. They were not going to let you go. Even as Pratt went to take off, people were still climbing on the chopper and soon, it was falling from the sky as Joseph sang Amazing Grace. You blacked out for a moment, opening your eyes to see Joseph staring at you. You reached for the dangling headset as Nancy’s voice came over the radio. Joseph responded, and when you heard her call him Father, you cursed her out in your head. You should have known she was one of them. 

“Let the Reaping begin!” Joseph yelled. As much as you wanted to help your colleagues, your friends, you knew you couldn’t save them and yourself. You got yourself out and took off. You found Burke and the two of you attempted to make a get away, only to end up going off the bridge and into the water. When you next came to, you found yourself cuffed to a bed in a bunker, only to find it belonged to Dutch, a prepper who saved you from the Seeds and the Project when you came on shore. You couldn’t help but think back to what Whitehorse had said before you’d headed to the church. Sometimes it’s best to leave well enough alone. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things went to hell in a handbasket after the botched arrest of Joseph Seed. You and the Resistance have been holding out for months, fighting with everything you have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part contains the death of a minor, mentions and depictions of torture, discussion of mind control, and canon typical violence
> 
> We meet the Avengers in the part while exploring a little bit of what Rook has gone through
> 
> Sorry this part took so long. I have the story written through chapter 8 and I'm editing. However, I unexpectedly moved back home due to the virus. I am currently a student in Ireland but returned home to the states last weekend. It's been stressful.
> 
> Stay safe out there y'all!

You lost count of the days. They all blurred together. You had been taken by John first when you were stirring things up in the region. John Seed, the baptist, the one meant to make you confess your sins. You had refused time and time again, until one day you didn’t. It was torture, literal torture. While you healed at an accelerated rate compared to others, you refused to heal yourself, refused to reveal what they already knew. You had sacrificed yourself for Joey, day in and day out. You didn’t want her to suffer, not when you knew you could handle it, handle the pain. 

_ “Are you ready to confess, Deputy? Ready to say yes, to be freed from your sins?” John asked, his tone calm. You glared at him. You hated him, hated how he drew out the word ‘deputy’ every time he spoke to you. It had become a routine. You had bruises still healing from where he hit you, cuts that were still bleeding, in spite of your accelerated healing.  _

_ “Confess what? That I was just living my life, doing my job until you and your family came in and fucked everything up?” you asked. You knew that would enrage him. You were past caring. You were chained to a chair and your words were your only available weapon. _

_ “Your hubris, your pride, your  _ **_wrath_ ** _. I know what your sins are, my dear. But do you? I don’t enjoy hurting you. No, no. But I must. Because, you. Must. Confess. You must atone, and the path to atonement is paved with pain,” he said as he paced around. He went to his toolbox. You loathed it. You craved the sunlight, the fresh air, anything other than the dark bunker that stank of blood and death. You refused to flinch as he moved toward you with the ice pick. He had figured out you healed fast. As far as you knew, it was the one thing keeping you alive, the one thing that kept him from killing you outright aside from whatever orders he had been given.  _

_ You refused to scream as he drove the ice pick into your leg. He knew how to maximize the pain without causing you to bleed out. You refused to give in until he threatened Joey again. In the end, he marked you after you said yes to save Joey once more, ‘wrath’ had been tattooed across your chest before the flesh was ripped from you. You had forced yourself not to react as he did it, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing you in pain. It took everything you had not to scream out. _

The day you broke, the day you said yes, was burned into your memory like no other experience through all of the things that had happened since the night of the attempted arrest. It plagued your dreams when you managed to sleep. The scene twisting into something more horrific each time. 

You almost wished to be back in the bunker now. You had figured you had been there for a month, maybe a little longer, before you ended up breaking out and getting away. You had spent time in John’s region stirring up trouble as a ‘fuck you’ to the man before crossing the Henbane River to deal with Faith and her bliss. Bliss. You hated the stuff. It was a potent hallucinogen. 

She had ensnared you in it. You had almost lost yourself in it before Tracey found you. An adrenaline shot was the only way to get you out of it. Faith had shown you destruction, had shown you Joseph’s supposed vision. You still hadn’t been able to get Burke away. Part of you wasn’t sure you wanted to. You blamed him for lighting the powder keg that set it all in motion while Joseph insisted it was you, always you. You were the harbinger, the one who set it in motion with one simple action. You headed for the Whitetails after being pulled from the Bliss. You knew torture awaited you in Holland Valley and you didn’t want to know what would happen if you ended up deep in the Bliss again. 

You met the Whitetail Militia when you made it to the Whitetails. You knew Tammy Barnes didn’t trust you one bit. Not at first. Not until you and Jess Black killed the Cook. 

_ “That didn’t feel like I thought it would,” Jess admitted as the two of you scavenged the site where the Cook had set up shop. He had killed her family. Jess had suffered at his hand. You placed a hand on her shoulder and she turned toward you, not meeting your gaze. _

_ “Look at me Jess,” you said. For a moment you thought she wasn’t going to, until she lifted her head up, her eyes meeting yours. _

_ “I don’t know what I expected,” she said. _

_ “Revenge rarely does what we think it will. You think you’ll feel stronger, that you’ll feel vindicated, that the suffering you went through, it won’t matter anymore because the boogeyman who hurt you is gone and can’t hurt anyone anymore. Truth is, revenge doesn’t change shit. You still went through hell, kid. You still have to heal. Maybe it’ll be a bit easier now. Maybe it won’t be. But he won’t hurt anyone ever again,” you said.  _

_ “I won’t rest easy at night until the son of a bitch responsible for this all is dead and buried,” she said. _

_ “Which one?” you asked. _

_ “All of them,” she said.  _

Jess was young. She was strong. She had seen far too much for her age. She was there when you had been caught by Jacob’s Chosen the second time. You had told her to run after Jacob’s warning came over your radio. For once, she listened to you. You had felt an arrow pierce your leg and the next thing you fully remembered was waking up to see bodies around you, blood on the ground at the bottom of a steep drop. It was the game Jacob played. You weren’t sure what it was then, but he triggered something in you, and after that things went blank. You never remembered what it was, not until you’d been in the Whitetails for long enough that it became clear. He let you go. You knew that. Of the three Seeds who ran the regions while Joseph hid away on his island, Jacob was the scariest. 

For the past three months, you had been at the mercy of Jacob. It had been five months since the botched arrest. He was your nightmares in human form. You dreaded seeing that music box. You dreaded hearing the opening notes of ‘ _ Only You’.  _ Whatever he had done to you, that song triggered it. You had learned to comply before he needed to use it. It was easier that way and you hated it. Absolutely hated it. He had toyed with you, letting you escape after each trial before bringing you back. He still used it when he had a specific task for you, one he didn’t want to risk your non-compliance on. 

Eli was one of those tasks. Eli led the Whitetail Militia. The militia were a key part of the Resistance in Hope County. Jacob had intended to kill you after you killed Eli, but he had changed his mind. He had called Eli your sacrifice. But he wasn’t. You were a means to an end. The only one in his mind who could kill Eli. What better way to demoralize the Whitetails than to lose their leader, demoralize the Resistance than to have their savior, their leader be the one to pull the trigger. 

The real test came with Ryan. Sweet Ryan. Your baby cousin, the son of your aunt, Rae-Rae. You wondered if having you kill Ryan was some sort of sick retribution. You swore you’d die to protect Ryan. He had been holed up safely with some Resistance members after the death of Rae-Rae at the hand of some Peggies who wanted Boomer, their dog. 

Ryan was barely a teenager. Where Eli was a sacrifice, Ryan was the true test once Jacob decided he still had a use for you, that your purpose hadn’t just been to demoralize the Whitetail Militia, that you were not as weak as he had thought once Eli was out of the picture. And that was a dangerous thing for you. 

_ “Cull the herd,” Jacob said. You stood, your body not your own. The only thing you saw was a faceless body, almost like a mannequin. A target. You didn’t hear the screams. You didn’t hear Ryan’s happiness at seeing you turn into horror as you turned your gun on him. One shot.  _

_ As he hit the ground the red haze receded. Your eyes widened when you saw him. You ran toward him, tears stinging your eyes. _

_ “Good job, pup. I’ll be calling for you soon,” Jacob’s voice came over your radio. You sobbed as you held Ryan, his breathing slowing to a stop.  _

_ “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” you cried, his blood staining your clothes and your hands. You found a shovel by the garage. You had swung by Rae-Rae’s on your way from checking in on the Rye’s. Kim was pregnant and you worried about her, especially when they decided to stay in Hope County. Rae-Rae’s had become a have for you. Your haven now became your hell, a reminder of what you did. You buried Ryan next to his mother, moving a heavy rock to mark it, along with a piece of wood you carved his name into with your knife. Boomer found you there, along with Sharky Boshaw, who was one of your closest allies. _

_ “Shit Dep, what happened?” Sharky asked, kneeling beside you. You just shook your head as he pulled you into a hug.  _

You knew you could no longer go to the militia after that day. They understood it wasn’t your fault, but you knew your continued association would only put them at risk. Tammy had tried to talk you out of it, mentioning her distant cousin, that despite what had been done to him, he was still a hero. For all the suspicions she’d had about you at the start, Tammy Barnes trusted you, even after everything. But you didn’t trust yourself. 

You stopped trying to escape, trying to run. You had learned the consequences after the first few times you attempted escape, attempted to assert yourself. It had taken weeks for the bruises to fade and the injuries to heal. Your accelerated healing could only do so much, especially when you were being starved. No food meant little energy, and it took a lot of energy to heal. 

Jacob knew what your powers were and you were always by his side. You hated it, hated him. A few run ins with the Resistance had you healing him, even if it was the last thing you wanted to do. You were determined to make it out of this, no matter the cost. Jacob had you go with a patrol that morning and you took your chance to run after wrestling a weapon away from one of his Chosen, his most trusted soldiers. You found a car that worked and sped off to Rye Aviation.

You felt relief as you saw the familiar sign. You pulled up and parked the car. The sound of you arriving had drawn someone out of the house. 

“Dep? Oh my god, Dep it’s really you!” Nick said as he approached the car with a gun drawn. Nick Rye was an ally, a friend. He owned the airfield and provided air support for you, when you weren’t being held captive by the Seeds. You knew it wasn’t a fluke that let you get away. If you had managed to get away, it was because Jacob let you. The realization didn’t sit well with you.

“It’s me. I’m home,” you said softly. You knew you looked beat up and broken. There was no way you didn’t. It seemed like everyone was there. Kim was there, looking like she was going to give birth any day now. Hurk was there with Sharky Boshaw. Sharky. One of your favorite people since everything started. Even if he was a wanted pyromaniac before everything kicked off, he was a useful ally, funny too. Grace Armstrong, the army sniper you’d helped out. Adelaide, who was Hurk’s mom stood with her favored boytoy of the moment. 

“Good to see you Rook,” Grace said. 

“Good to see you too,” you said. You found yourself pulled into hugs, saying hello to the people you hadn’t seen in so long. You were home. 

“Had me real worried for a second amiga,” Sharky said. 

“Yeah. I know,” you said, taking a sip of the beer that had been handed to you once everything settled. It may have been the end of the world, but damn, if there wasn’t a stockpile of alcohol to throw a party at the end of it. 

* * *

_ One month later, Upstate New York _

The Avengers were gathered in a conference room. Fury had arrived at the compound that morning with an urgent briefing. 

“We’ve received word from the US Marshals that one of their agents, Cameron Burke, has been reported missing. He was meant to arrest Joseph Seed six months ago,” Fury said.

“Five months and they haven’t heard from him? Why are they only now doing something about it?” Natasha asked. 

“That’s where things get strange. The Marshals received his resignation two days after the arrest was supposed to happen. Burke had been insistent on bringing this Joseph Seed in and then wanted to drop all charges and resign. The Marshals office is such a mess and Seed considered such a low level threat that they brushed it off. Until now. New information has cropped up,” Fury said. The team looked at the information in front of them. Profiles on the brothers, on people associated with the Project. 

“Where do we come in?” Steve asked, arms crossed. This didn’t seem like something that warranted the Avengers involvement. 

“Records show Hope County has become a dark zone. No communications in or out of the county except by specific encoded communications locations in four different locations. After the Marshals requested the help of the Avengers, we tapped into the communications and we’ve been able to intercept radio traffic. There’s a war going on in that county and Joseph Seed is determined to win it. Project at Eden’s Gate is a doomsday cult with Joseph Seed as their prophet. We have reason to believe he has gotten his hands on weapons of mass destruction with alien origin,” Fury said.

“There’s a catch, there has to be,” Tony said. 

“From what we’ve gathered, Joseph’s brothers are his so called heralds, along with a young woman by the name of Rachel Jessop, who now goes by Faith Seed. According to intercepted transmissions, youngest brother John is called the Baptist and is responsible for getting confessions out of converts, whether they’re willing or not. We don’t know what that entails.

Oldest brother Jacob is former army, served in the Gulf War. He runs their defense and we have reason to believe he’s using some kind of mental conditioning. 

This so called Faith is manufacturing a potent drug called Bliss. We have no idea what it’s effects are. When you enter the region, you will need to proceed with caution. Radio chatter indicates they have an enhanced individual in the region. They call her Rook. We don’t know much, whether she’s working for the Project or the Resistance. The messages are confusing. But treat this Rook with caution,” Maria said. The team sat in silence, contemplating what they had just been told. 

“Do we know if Hydra is involved?” Natasha asked. 

“We don’t know for sure. They had to get those weapons from somewhere. If not Hydra then there is another threat we need to be on alert for,” Fury said. The team sat in contemplation for a moment. 

“What do we need to prepare for? Do we have a contact?” Steve asked. 

“Be prepared for anything. You leave in three hours. We have a contact in the region, Hurk Drubman Junior. He’s a little...rough around the edges but he’ll be able to give you a run down if you can find him,” Maria said. Bucky’s head snapped up. Drubman, why did that name sound so familiar? A photo of the man in question was brought up on the screen. Bucky squinted at it. He cursed under his breath when he made the connection. Of course it was him. 

* * *

The Avengers touched down at an airfield. A man greeted them with a gun that he lowered once he saw who they were. He still kept his guard up as the group approached. Steve introduced himself and the team. 

“Nick, Nick Rye,” the man said.

“Do you know where we can find Hurk--,” Steve was cut off by the sound of an explosion and laughter.

“Drubman? Yeah, he and his cousin are here. What’re you looking for him for?” Nick asked as they walked toward the house.

“We were told Mr. Drubman would be able to assist us,” Natasha said. She was taking in the surroundings. Smoke rose in the distance as a statue stood smoldering. They were led into the house. It seemed like a party was going on.

“Some might says it’s distasteful to celebrate the death of someone, but they’ve never met those damn Seeds,” Nick said.

“They’re dead?” Natasha asked. 

“John is, the so called baptist. Dep killed him today after...anyway, the important thing is that fucker is dead as dead can be and the people he was keepin’ prisoner are free. Joey Hudson is restin’ up. Damn Peggies had her for months,” he said.

“Peggies?” Wanda asked.

“S’what we call members of the Project. Project at Eden’s Gate, PEG, Peggies,” Nick said. The group looked at Steve. Realization seemed to cross Nick’s face.

“Aw hell, your lady back in the 40s was--” Nick started to say before Natasha cut him off.

“Agent Carter was named Peggy yes. And she was a hell of a lot more than the Captain’s lady,” Natasha said. 

“Right, right, sorry,” Nick said, looking properly admonished. He led them to where everyone was gathered and made introductions. It was time to plan.

* * *

You excused yourself from the room, feeling overwhelmed by how many people were there. You knew it was only a matter of time before Jacob was going to call you back. He was bound to be furious. You knew when he let you go he didn’t think you’d get that far, didn’t think you’d kill his baby brother. You may have escaped but you knew it was because he let you, a sick game of cat and mouse. You jumped when you heard a floorboard creek on the porch. It was Wanda Maximoff.

“Sorry, I did not realize someone was out here,” she said. 

“It’s fine, you’re fine. It was just...overwhelming in there,” you said. She nodded.

“You...you are not okay,” she said. 

“My home is under siege by a murderous doomsday cult. I’ve been tortured, shot at, almost killed, and held captive by them and I’m currently engaged in a cat and mouse game with the Project. Yeah. I’d say I’m not okay,” you snapped. You took a breath. She had nothing to do with it. Guilt set in.

“Sorry...I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you,” you said. She touched your arm and you flinched. Touch that wasn’t inflicting pain was something you were adjusting to. 

“You are dealing with a lot,” she said. You nodded. The two of you sat in silence for a bit. Your thoughts drifted to that morning. John had crossed the line and you made your final move against him. You had hoped you could subdue him, take him alive, make him face justice for what he’d done. But that wasn’t how things went. 

_ “Face it, Deputy. Joseph is  _ **_right._ ** _ You cannot change that,” John taunted over the radio. You were chasing him down in a plane. You knew it was only going to end one way. _

_ “Want to bet?” you asked. You managed to damage the wing of his plane enough that it went careening out of the sky. You hadn’t anticipated him having a parachute. You landed Carmina and took off on foot in the direction you’d seen John descending in. A firefight ensued and he was leaning against a car while sat on the ground. _

_ “I never thought it would go this far, you know,” he said, his breathing labored.  _

_ “Is this your deathbed confession?” you asked, your gun trained on him.  _

_ “We both know...if you wanted to save me right now...you could Deputy. You’re just...as much of a monster...as I am. At least I acknowledge my sins,” he said.  _

Wanda sat beside you, a comforting hand on your back, rubbing circles as you lost yourself in your thoughts. You glanced at her.

“What if, what if there are no winners here? What if we’re all just monsters masquerading as heros?” you asked her. She tilted her head to the side.

“You worry about the destruction and pain caused by your hand,” she said. You nodded. She sighed.

“I’ve been there too. If we don’t do what we do, the outcome may be worse than if we do something. It isn’t you’re fault you’re in this position,” she said. You nodded. The two of you sat in silence for a while longer before standing up to go back in the house. 

You walked into the house to see an interesting scene. Bucky Barnes and Hurk were stood in opposite corners. Bucky had a gun aimed at Hurk, who just had a wide smile on his face. Clint Barton had a bowl of popcorn he was sharing with Nick, Jess, and Grace. Kim was glaring at both men. Steve had stepped between them while Natasha and Tony seemed to be taking bets on what would happen. 

“I knew it! I knew the Winter Soldier was after me!” Hurk yelled. You wondered what you had missed while you were outside talking with Wanda.

“What the hell is going on in here?” you asked. Everyone turned toward you.

“Hurk being Hurk,” Kim said. You sighed.

“Hurk go...blow something up with Sharky. Stop agitating someone who probably knows five hundred different ways to kill you without using a gun,” you snapped. You loved your friends, you did, but god, did they do stupid things sometimes. You smiled a little to yourself. A small shred of normalcy in the chaos. 

After getting the Avengers set up and settled, you gathered the Resistance core around the fire outside. The Avengers were surely resting or making their own preparations. You’d be discussing a game plan come morning. 

“What’re you thinking Dep?” Nick asked.

“We need a contingency plan. There’s no way Jacob doesn’t call me back. Sooner rather than later. For our sake, I hope it’s before we make any plans with the Avengers. I don’t know what I’m like when I’m under, not fully. I remember bits and pieces,” you said.

“What are you getting at Dep?” Grace asked.

“If it comes down to it, you need to take me out. I won’t be in control. I try to fight it, but it’s hard. I haven’t been able to snap myself out of it,” you told them. 

“No, not happening amiga. We’re not killing ya,” Sharky said.

“Sharky. You may not have a choice,” you snapped.

“There’s always a choice!” Jess yelled. 

“Would you keep it down? We don’t need to be alerting our guests to our plans here. Not this one,” you said, glaring at her. 

“Rook, what you’re asking us to do,” Nick said.

“It’s a sacrifice. I’m a weakness. You need to cull the herd,” you explained.

“Cull the herd? Sacrifice? Weakness? For fucks sake Rook, do you hear yourself? You’re spouting off Jacob’s rhetoric!” Jess said. You ran a hand through your hair and started pacing, unaware of the person listening in to the conversation going on. Bucky Barnes lurked in the shadow, eavesdropping on what was going on. It wasn’t that the Avengers didn’t trust the Resistance. They wanted all the information they could get to plan their attack. They knew there was no keeping the Resistance out of the fight. This was their fight, not the Avengers. They had been the ones keeping hope alive for six months. 

“It doesn’t matter. If you don’t take me out...I don’t see people, Jess. I see targets. I see targets I need to take out. I don’t...I can’t hurt you, any of you. And if you don’t take me out the first chance you get if I’m not in control, I will hurt you, or worse kill you,” you said, your voice breaking. 

“I’ll do it,” Grace said.

“Grace,” Nick said sharply. She held her hand up.

“I’m the best shot we have. I don’t  _ want  _ to kill Dep. But if we have to take her out. We have to take her out. She’s right. You have all seen and heard what Jacob does to people. Once he hooks his claws into her, getting her back will be damn near impossible if she can’t fight it off,” Grace said. 

Later that night when you were patrolling the perimeter when you heard it. The opening of ‘Only You’ before you heard Jacob telling you to return to the Whitetails. You had no choice but to listen, finding another car and driving to where Jacob was waiting. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob calls you back to the mountains and the Resistance makes it’s last stand.

Joseph had called Faith to Jacob’s compound a few days after your return. You were by Jacob’s side, still nursing bruises from the punishment you had taken for John’s death. For a moment, you had thought you wouldn’t make it this time. Jacob had looked at you with a cruel smile before telling you that you weren’t going anywhere. Joseph reminded you that you were right where you needed to be, with a look on his face that sent a shiver down your spine in fear. You wondered what the plans were that your friends had made. The Seeds knew someone had entered the county, but you had been able to keep from telling them who. 

“Your sins will be forgiven once you say yes, my child. All you have to do is say yes,” Joseph said. You were sat in a chair, an uncomfortable one at that. You’d take that over the cage Jacob usually kept you in, even if you had to sit and listen to Joseph preach. He was standing before those gathered at the former hospital, broadcasting over the radio to the County. You stayed silent. For the first time since things kicked off all those months ago, you felt utterly powerless. You couldn’t see a way out this time. The last time you escaped from Jacob, you had ended up right back with him. You could handle Faith. You could handle John. But the only way you could get away from Jacob was if he let you. And he wasn’t going to let you.

A tension hung in the air. You knew something was on the horizon. You hoped the Resistance would attack first. The Project may have had the home field advantage, but you believed in the Resistance. You believed in your friends. An ambush on the Resistance wouldn’t end well for the Resistance. They were too scattered on a normal day, spread across the county. The only road to victory was a coordinated attack before the Project could launch one of their own. 

You knew it was coming. In three days time, the Project would be taking the fight to the Resistance. You were in the room as they planned. Jacob was confident you wouldn’t be escaping, that you wouldn’t be able to warn them. 

“Those who continue to fight against us, the sinners who seek to destroy our Eden, will be brought to their knees. And our Deputy will help us in pursuing our cause, in securing Eden’s Gate,” Joseph said as he continued to preach. You refused to allow yourself to cry. 

“Forgiveness is a powerful tool. The Deputy has repented for the vicious murder of John, my brother, our Baptist. The Deputy has faced her judgment for her sin, for becoming so consumed in her wrath. John was not a perfect man. Not one of us who walks this earth is perfect,” Joseph preached. Judgment. If by judgment he meant fighting to the death with others. More red in your ledger. More blood on your hands. Kill or be killed. Jacob’s sick idea of culling the herd, killing the weak. Only the strongest survived. It was a gauntlet of those who had wronged the Project. 

You closed your eyes and Joseph started to pray. As much as you wanted to cry, you refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing you break. You refused to let them get further under your skin. Jacob had one thing right. You were strong. You were strong enough to know that you might have to sacrifice yourself if push came to shove, to end this once and for all. 

Sleep didn’t come easy that night. You had heard whispers from a new prisoner that the Resistance was preparing for something. He was hopeful, that maybe he would make it out. You hoped you all would. You were back in a cage, sleeping under the stars, the sounds of other prisoners around you. You were used to it. Jacob treated you like animals. Trained you like animals. 

It was just past dawn when the first show was fired. The quiet base camp erupted into chaos and you knew it would only be a matter of time before Jacob put you on the field. You had a plan, but you weren’t sure you’d be able to do it. It hinged on a delay in Jacob activating the conditioning. You had managed to lose him in the fray and managed to find a weapon that lay discarded beside a fallen Peggie. 

You knew it was only a matter of time before that damned song started playing and you were determined to prevent it. If it was broadcasting around the compound, you would have no chance of avoiding it. You knew he’d still have the music box, but at least with the speakers out of play, you could minimize the damage done. You weren’t the only soldier in play. 

You knew where the controls were for the speakers. Getting there was going to be the issue. You had learned since your initial capture all those months ago that as much as your powers could be used to heal, they could be used to hurt. And you used that to your advantage. You didn’t want to kill. You didn’t need more blood on your hands. You had enough of that to last several lifetimes after the things you’d been made to do in the name of the Project against your will and from the things you had to do as a member of the Resistance, trying to stop the Project. 

You raced up the stairs of the main building. Jacob’s office held the controls. He kept it locked when he wasn’t there, no longer trusting Staci after he helped you escape once. It had been sheer luck and perhaps a moment of stupidity on your part that Staci hadn’t ended up dead for his actions that day. 

“Come on, come on, come on!” you yelled as you tried to force the door open. You had a choice to make. You just had to hope he was cocky enough not to replace the door when they had taken over the building. If it was rotted out enough, you’d be able to take it down with no problem. You had enough room to take a running start at the door, managing enough momentum to crash through. Thank god for that oversight. You knew exactly which panel to take out and lined up your shot as you heard a gun cock.

“Might wanna rethink that one, honey,” Jacob’s voice came. Slowly, you turned. Staci Pratt stood beside him. Pratt looked like a shell of his former self. And he held the music box. The only reason he wasn’t sitting in a bunker or dead was because you had pleaded for his life after he helped you escape. You had returned of your own choosing that time, sacrificing yourself for his life, knowing what would happen to him otherwise. He was one of your closest friends and you’d be damned if you let him down. 

“Now, I’m going to play you your favorite song, and you’re going to take out those Avengers. I know you can, honey,” Jacob taunted as he snapped his fingers at Pratt. To his credit, Pratt at least looked apologetic. The familiar red haze fell over you as the opening notes played. You weren’t in control and you felt Jacob attach the communication device to your ear. 

“Run along, you have a job to do,” he said. You tried to fight it, tried to fight back. You grit your teeth, pain setting in from forcing yourself to stay put when your body was conditioned to follow orders. 

Try as you might, you were moving and it wasn’t of your own accord. A silent tear fell. You heard his words repeating over and over.  _ Cull the herd. Kill the weak.  _ You were well aware you weren’t in the driver’s seat. 

From a perch a distance away, Grace saw you emerge into the chaos of battle. She said a silent prayer as she lined up to take the shot. She didn’t want to do it, but she had promised you. You were their leader, you were the reason the Resistance had held out so long. As she moved to take the shot, someone yanked the rifle from her hands. She glanced up to see Natasha Romanoff.

“What are you doing?” Grace asked.

“Stopping you. You’re not doing this,” Natasha said.

“I promised her,” Grace said.

“Sometimes, promises are made to be broken. She’ll thank you later,” Natasha said as she turned her attention back to the fighting going on. Bucky had managed to subdue you momentarily, the speakers disabled. The pair watched as you struggled. 

You thrashed as someone wrapped their arms around you and the music stopped. You couldn’t make out what they were saying as the device was yanked from your ear, Jacob’s words fading away. You blinked as you started coming back too. The fighting it seemed had stopped. But then you saw him. Jacob stood, cocky as ever, the music box now in his hand.

“It was an adorable try, Sergeant. But you’ll have to try harder than that to save our dear Deputy,” Jacob said. You pushed the super soldier off of you, picking the gun you’d dropped up off the ground. 

“Not. Today. Jacob,” you ground out. He laughed. You had your gun aimed at him. He held his hands up in mock surrender.

“You’re cute when you think you stand a chance, honey. But at the end of the day, you’ll always be my lap dog. I tell you to kill, you--,” his speech was cut off by you firing the gun. He staggered forward. You didn’t move. It felt like everything was in slow motion. You blinked several times, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over you, whether it was from the shock or your puppet master’s imminent demise, you weren’t sure. 

“Oh my god,” you said. You were shaking. You heard footsteps. Jacob was still breathing, albeit it shallowly. You dropped the gun and fell to your knees as you took in the carnage around you. You felt sick to your stomach, wondering how many of these people had died by your hand. A woman approached you slowly. 

“Don’t think about it,” the woman said. You recognized Wanda as you came out of the haze fully. Things were a blur. You were escorted out to where people were being rounded up in the wake of the fight. Joseph was kneeling, cuffed with two Avengers standing guard, Hawkeye and Spiderman. Staci stayed close to you. 

“We’re alright Pratt. We’re alright. I told you we’d make it out of this,” you said quietly as you wrapped your arms around him, pulling him into a hug. He was shaking like a leaf. You had often made that promise to him. That come hell or high water, you’d get the two of you out. He let out a sob. You wanted to cry too, but your tears had stopped months ago. 

* * *

“We had an eye on her before all this. We saw her a few days ago and she was fine when we met her. What’s the status report?” Steve asked Wanda. Wanda had been seeing to some of those who had been rounded up. She had spent time with you and Staci in the immediate aftermath of the fighting. He hadn’t spoken and you kept it to the bare minimum. 

“She was taken by the...cult not long after the helicopter crash. She had been assisting the Resistance as their leader. The first month she was held in the bunker of the one they called the Baptist. Torture. It was torture. He would torture people until they confessed sins to him. Then she was sent here. Her mind...the music box Jacob Seed had...it will trigger her into...into a killing machine. I don’t know the specifics, if there are orders he embedded. But that song...it’s like the words that would trigger Bucky, before Shuri helped him. When we spoke before she came back to Jacob, she only mentioned that she’d been hurt. Not that Jacob had done something like this to her,” Wanda said. Bucky looked toward the woman who sat curled under a blanket. 

“Like me?” Bucky asked. He felt his heart breaking, for her, for the others like her. He knew all too well what it was like to have your choices, your freedom taken away, to be forced into following orders. When he’d heard the discussions on contingency planning, he hadn’t known what to think. He had confided in Natasha. Natasha had stayed back, watching for Grace. It was on Natasha to stop her from enacting the contingency plan, from killing you. 

“That’s what Jacob Seed was doing out here. Conditioning people into becoming perfect soldiers. Obedient,” Wanda said. 

“Did he…?” Natasha asked trailing off. Wanda knew what she was asking.

“No. For a cult of murderers, even they seem to have had a code of ethics,” Wanda said. 

“But they were fine with murder, torture, and kidnapping,” Sam said. 

“In their eyes...it was saving these people. At all costs. We have a county full of people who just went through unspeakable trauma. How are we going to help?” she countered. 

“We need to find out how many of them have been conditioned. Figure out how many people are missing. This is going to take a long time to sort out,” Steve said. 

“What about her? She’s got abilities. Do we leave her here with the response team or do we bring her with us?” Natasha asked. 

“We’ll bring her with us. We can help her. We don’t know the extent of her abilities. Leaving her with civilian doctors would be a risk,” Steve said. Bucky glanced back at her once more, feeling another pang in his chest. If Jacob Seed wasn’t dead already, he would have killed him himself. 

He found you sitting with Joey Hudson and Staci Pratt. Staci had refused to leave your side. You were holding him, running a hand through his hair as you said something to him quietly. Hudson was on his other side, arm wrapped around him. As Bucky walked closer, he could see the shaking of Pratt’s shoulders. 

“You’ll be okay, Staci. You’re one of the strongest people I know. You survived. Jacob didn’t,” you said, your voice low.

“He was weak,” he said. You nodded.

“We’re going to get you help. All of us are going to get help. What we’ve gone through...you’re like family to be, Staci. After the hell they put us through, after what they made us do. You’re still my family,” you told him. 

Bucky cleared his throat, making his presence known. You gave him a knowing look. Everyone knew what he’d gone through. 

“I’d ask how you’re holding up, but I think I have a pretty good idea,” he said. You let out a light laugh. 

“Somewhere between ‘surely I’ll wake up from this nightmare eventually’ and ‘the evil has been defeated’,” you said. You shared a look with Joey when you saw the confusion on his face. You figured he wouldn’t have gotten the reference. 

He sat with the three of you for a while, listening as you spoke. You were surprised when he managed to get Staci to say more than a few words by bringing up baseball of all things. You allowed yourself a moment to glance around the area. Bodies were covered with white sheets. More law enforcement than you’d seen in your life were there and helicopters hovered for just a few minutes before leaving. It figured the news would be in the area. 

“The governor’s closed the airspace over Hope County to non-military or law enforcement aircraft,” Natasha Romanoff said as she walked up. You wondered if that was for your benefit or if she was just informing Bucky. Wanda was walking with her. When she had spoken to you earlier, she had told you about her powers. You marveled at the fact that she had stuck around so long. She said she was good at tuning things out, but you knew the amount of pain and suffering had to be taking its toll. 

“Wanda, have you had a chance to take a break?” you asked, startling the other woman.

“I’ll be fine Rook. What about you? Have you gone to see one of the doctors? Any of you?” she asked. You sighed.

“I...may have...maybe done a thing?” you said. Joey smacked your shoulder.

“I thought you weren’t going to tell them,” she said.

“They know, Joey. Wanda made me promise to rest. Not to strain myself if no one was in a life threatening situation,” you said. You had done what you could for Staci, for yourself. You were tired. As much as your arm was around Staci to comfort him, it was the only thing keeping you upright.

“We should get you all somewhere to rest. Questions can wait. I’ll take you back to the Rye’s,” Natasha said. You nodded, standing up before helping Staci up. 

“Nat are you sure that’s a good idea? They should get checked out,” Wanda said, concern in her voice. You felt Staci tense beside you.

“It’ll be fine,” Natasha said before gesturing for the three of you to follow her. Natasha led the three of you to a waiting car. You fell asleep within a few minutes, the first truly peaceful sleep you’d had in months. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of the battle, you learn what comes next for you and your friends and what happened to Faith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr: jbbarnesnnoble.tumblr.com

The sky was streaked with pink and orange as the sun began to rise above the horizon. You sat in a rocking chair on the front porch of the Rye home, baby Carmina sleeping in your arms. Kim was getting some much needed rest and Nick was still helping with the emergency response in the form of getting people set up in the abandoned houses that now dotted the county, starting in Holland Valley. Your rag-tag team was helping in any way they could. Mary May and Jerome were putting together a list of names of people who were unaccounted for. Grace had taken Boomer with her when she went to help see if there were any holdouts from the cult hiding out in bunkers. 

You, Staci, and Joey were the only ones who were being forced to sit on the sidelines. You did your best to soothe him. You wished your powers could heal the mind, if only to help him. He had been your first love, when you were younger and held so much optimism. You heard Natasha before she sat down beside you, a cup of coffee in hand. Wanda had arrived with Bucky not long after Natasha had brought you back to the Rye’s. You had had a difficult night sleeping, plagued by nightmares and the fear that victory was only a dream. 

“How do you feel about New York?” Natasha asked, before taking a sip of her cup of coffee. You glanced at her.

“I’ve been a few times,” you said.

“How would you feel about living there, at least temporarily?” she asked. You frowned. You took one of Carmina’s tiny hands in yours, smiling as the sleeping infant grasped one of your fingers. You needed the distraction. You had a feeling you knew where Natasha was going with her line of questioning.

“This is my home,” you told her. The other woman let out a sigh, remaining silent for a moment as she thought about her next words. 

“You’re enhanced. The therapy you’re going to be going through...it's intense,” she told you. You looked at her, your expression neutral.

“You think I’ll hurt someone,” you said. 

“We can’t rule out the possibility. If you were a normal civilian, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Most of those affected by Jacob’s brainwashing will be treated here in Montana. You’re the only one we know of who is enhanced,” she said. 

“This is my home. They need me,” you said, before standing up to head inside as Carmina began to fuss. 

As you moved about your day, you found yourself lost in thought. Joey and Staci were heading to Missoula in the afternoon. It was amazing how quickly Stark’s money could get something set up. You supposed the Avengers had a plan for these kinds of things after Sokovia. You remembered hearing about the response team on the news, in what felt like a lifetime ago. You didn’t want to leave your home. You knew Staci would be taken care of, but you worried. You worried about Hudson, about Staci, about everyone. No part of the county had been untouched by the madness. 

You had moved to Hope County to stay off the Avengers radar, only to end up on it anyway. Avengers had been in and out of the Rye home, which had become a base of operations for them and for the Resistance. You had spent part of your day writing down locations where you knew bodies were buried, because you had buried them. Your Aunt Rae-Rae. Your cousin Ryan. Eli. A list of the dead on your side, the ones you knew of. You wrote down what had happened to the group that had come through looking for a man’s sister. 

Staci stood, a shell of himself, with Joey’s arm around him. They were by the car the would be taking them to Missoula.

“Stay safe Rook. Stay in touch,” Joey said. You nodded.

“You have my number. My e-mail. I’ll get you my address too,” you said softly. 

“I’m going to go check in with Captain Rogers. Agent Barton is driving us up with that Spiderkid,” she said. You nodded, pulling her into a hug. You knew what she was doing. You watched as she walked toward where the Captain stood before you turned your attention to Staci. He had wrapped his arms around himself. 

“It’s going to be okay, Pratt. I promise,” you whispered as you pulled him into a hug.

“You don’t know that,” he said.

“It’s over. We won. We’re safe. Jacob can’t hurt us anymore. These people are here to help us. The world’s top specialists are here to help us, Staci. The Seeds will never hurt us again, I promise you,” you said. You felt his shoulders shake as he let out a sob that rocked his too thin frame. You held him tight, a few tears of your own falling. You were trying to stay strong. For Staci. For Joey. For everyone around you. You were their leader. 

Goodbyes were hard. Part of you was afraid you wouldn’t see either of your friends again. Security had been hard to come by in the months since the Seeds had taken over. Security in food. Security in knowing things would be okay. As the car disappeared from view, you went for a walk on the property. You had a tree you liked to sit under. It had enough cover around it that you wouldn’t be seen by any Peggie patrols in the area, something that you didn’t have to worry about anymore. 

You found yourself thinking of Burke. The damned fool who had set into motion the series of events that led to this all. Part of you wondered if Cameron Burke had never set foot in Hope County things wouldn’t have gone south the way they had. You knew in your heart that it would have happened, with or without him. The cult had become more brazen in the days leading up to the attempted arrest. Three bodies had turned up in the span of a week and getting a warrant for the Seed properties had been a struggle with how many connections John Seed had made in the county. They had been taunting the Sheriff’s Department. 

You stood up sometime later, brushing the dirt from your pants. You needed to walk. You needed a distraction from the thoughts that raced around in your head. You knew someone had been watching you from a distance. Someone was always watching you. You understood why. But that didn’t mean you liked it. 

While you needed to escape your thoughts, you needed to talk too. You needed someone to reassure you. Someone to tell you that you’d be okay, that no matter what happened next, you’d be able to return home in the end. You spotted Wanda Maximoff not far from you, keeping a polite distance while keeping you in her line of vision. 

“Wanda?” you called. She looked at you, and you took a breath before continuing as she moved toward you. You felt at ease with her. From the moment you’d met before everything came to a head, you’d felt safe with her. 

“Wanda...will I be...will I be allowed to leave? After I’m fixed...if I’m ever fixed?” you asked. She looked surprised at your question. You hadn’t brought up the topic of your conversation with Natasha with anyone. You knew when you’d be leaving, but that was the extent. 

“You aren’t a prisoner,” she said. You looked at her with a look she couldn’t decipher. Your thoughts were a jumbled mess, like a puzzle that was difficult to put together. 

“I sure feel like one with a babysitter every time I want to take a moment to myself,” you said. She sighed. 

“It’s for your safety and that of others. We’ve tracked down each person who...who completed the trials and survived the fight. They’ve been secured. We’re going to get them help, get you help. We have experience with this,” she said.

“Why aren’t they coming too? Why am I the only one going to New York?” you asked. 

“I thought you and Natasha talked about this,” she said, confusion evident in her expression. You nodded.

“We did. I understand why I’m going to New York. I don’t understand why I’m the only one,” you said. 

“You’ve got powers. You pose far more danger to civilian doctors than the others. It won’t be just civilian doctors, but it’s safer for you to be treated under the supervision of the Avengers. We have the facilities to handle anything that happens during your recovery. These people, their lives are here. Families are here. Some are from out of state, yes, but it will be easier in the long term to have them in one location to monitor progress. You’re an exception,” she said. You sighed. As much as you wanted to argue, you knew people far more qualified than you were making the decisions. You had another pressing question, one you weren’t sure you wanted the answer to. 

“I have another question. Did Faith survive?” you asked. She looked surprised at the question.

“I’m sorry,” she said. You nodded. Rachel Jessop had been one of your best friends in the county before she got caught up with the cult. You wanted to cry, but your tears had long since dried. You had all been pawns in Joseph’s twisted game. 

“We were friends...when we were kids I mean. Before all this. I tried to convince her to leave once, in person. Jacob had brought me with him to a meeting. I had only just finished the trials. I was told to help Faith with something and I tried to talk her into leaving, into taking me with her. She slapped me and told me I should stop thinking like that, and that eventually I’d see that Joseph was right. She didn’t tell Jacob. A small act of mercy. I’d tried it when she had me in Bliss a couple times, but she was always able to redirect me then,” you said. 

“You would have been punished?” she asked. You let out a small laugh. It held not emotion, only the resignation that came with the reality you had faced. 

“I’d be lucky if I survived. You don’t...you didn’t leave the Project alive. The times I was back with the Resistance...it was because Jacob allowed it. It was a cat and mouse game. He’d catch me, chip away more at conditioning me, and let me go back until he called me back again,” you said. 

The two of you continued to walk in silence after that. You felt more at ease around her. You knew of her powers, she had been upfront about it when she introduced herself to you. You wondered how she was coping with this all. It couldn’t have been easy for her to be around all of the suffering, around the pain caused by the Seed family. But you didn’t feel like it was your place to ask her about it. As the sun started sinking below the horizon, you felt at peace for the first time since everything started. 

* * *

The journey to the Avengers compound the next morning was quiet. You had been in contact with family, letting them know you were alive. You weren’t okay. You were far from it. You found yourself humming as you went through messages and emails on your phone. It was a new one Stark had given you. You pulled up a news article about what had happened in Hope County. 

_ ‘What Happened in Hope County? More Questions than Answers as Press Conference Planned’  _

_ ‘Who Were the Resistance? A Look at Hope County’s Heroes’  _

_ ‘Terror in Montana: Religious Terrorism in the US’  _

_ ‘Who is Rook?’ _

_ ‘Stark Declines Comment on Hope County’ _

_ ‘Feds REFUSED to Help Hope County’ _

_ ‘President Set to Hold Conference Call with Survivors Amid Controversy Over Decision to Postpone Visit to the Region’  _

“You shouldn’t read that,” Natasha said from beside you as she glanced at your screen. Someone had spoken about you to the media. Said you were Jacob’s trained attack dog, a cold-blooded killer, that you should be locked up instead of with the Avengers. Your shoulders slumped. 

“They aren’t wrong. The things I did,” you said.

“It wasn’t you. The only people to blame are the Seeds,” she said. You shook your head.

“I could have fought harder. I could have done more,” you said.

“Even the strongest can fall victim to people like that. What matters is they’re gone. We’re going to help you. I can’t promise you’ll go back to how things were, but I can promise you that you’ll have support,” she said. Natasha glanced at Bucky as she spoke. You couldn’t imagine what it was like for him once they’d learned what Jacob had been doing. You knew enough about his background to know that he’d been brainwashed and controlled by Hydra. 

When the jet landed, you were escorted to medical. There, you met Dr. Cho, along with Princess Shuri of Wakanda. Shuri, you were told, was responsible for the recovery of Sergeant Barnes. It appeared she was the only person the Avengers trusted to help you recover, given the circumstances. 

“It won’t be easy, but you will recover, I promise you,” Shuri said to you. You nodded. There was only one path you could take, and it was forward. 


End file.
